Christ Church, Childers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christ Church, Childers |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Christ Church, 2000
|
|
| Location | 24 Macrossan Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | 1900–1958 |
| Architect | John Hingeston Buckeridge |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
| Official name: Christ Church, Childers, Anglican Church | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 28 April 2000 |
| Reference no. | 601994 |
| Significant period | 1900s (historical) 1900s (fabric) 1940–1960 (fabric stained glass) ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | views from, furniture/fittings, baptistry, church, stained glass window/s, views to |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Christ Church is a special old church located at 24 Macrossan Street in Childers, Australia. It's also known as the Anglican Church. The church was designed by John Hingeston Buckeridge and built between 1900 and 1958. It is recognized as an important historical site and was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2000.
Contents
The Story of Christ Church
Christ Church in Childers is a timber (wooden) church. It was built in 1900 and was the second church on this spot. The first Christ Church was a small wooden building opened in 1888. As the town of Childers grew, people wanted a bigger church and their own priest.
Designing the New Church
In 1899, the church committee asked John H. Buckeridge to design a new, larger church. Buckeridge was the official architect for the Anglican Church in Brisbane. He designed many timber churches, and Christ Church looks similar to his other works, like St. Colomb's in Clayfield.
John Buckeridge was a very important architect for churches in Queensland. He was known for designing beautiful buildings that were also practical. His churches often used a style called Gothic Revival. This style looked back to medieval churches but used local materials. He also made sure his designs worked well in Queensland's warm climate.
The first plans for Christ Church were a bit too expensive. So, they changed the design in December 1899 to fit the budget. A local builder named Mr. Irwin built the church in 1900. The work was overseen by Frederic Herbert Faircloth, an architect from Bundaberg.
Opening and Changes Over Time
Christ Church officially opened on May 9, 1901. This was a big day because Childers became its own separate church area (parish) at the same time. The first priest for the new parish was Father Thomas Ashburner.
The original small church was then used as a hall until 1967. Over the years, the church building changed.
- In 1906, a house was bought to be the priest's home.
- During the 1920s and 1930s, the church was painted.
- In 1932, families donated special gates and a font (a basin for baptisms).
Many beautiful stained glass windows were also added. Most of these were designed by a famous artist named William Bustard.
William Bustard's Stained Glass
William Bustard was a very talented artist who created many high-quality stained glass windows. He worked from 1921 until 1958. His windows for Christ Church show scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, like the Annunciation (when an angel told Mary she would have Jesus) and the Ascension (when Jesus went up to heaven).
- Six stained glass windows were put in the main part of the church in 1940-41.
- Another six pairs were added by 1947.
- By 1958, all the windows in the main part of the church had Bustard's stained glass.
- A newer window, showing Christ Church with local animals and plants, was added in 1992.
The inside of the church was painted in the 1950s. The wooden supports were replaced with brick piers. The church was painted again in 1975, and the roof was replaced in 1983.
Christ Church is considered one of the most complete and unchanged timber churches designed by John Buckeridge. This makes it very special!
What Christ Church Looks Like
Christ Church is a timber building on Macrossan Street in Childers. You can see it well from McIllwraith Street, with cane fields in the background. The church is set back from the street and has a wide concrete driveway.
Outside the Church
The church sits on brick supports and is covered in creamy-colored painted timber boards. The roof is very steep and made of dull brown metal. Small timber crosses are on the ends of the roof.
The building has:
- A main area called the nave (where people sit).
- A chancel (the area around the altar).
- A vestry (a room for the priest and church items).
- Side aisles (passageways).
- A unique, five-sided baptistry (where baptisms happen).
- Two entry porches.
The baptistry has a special roof shape that makes it stand out. The side aisles and porches have separate roofs, allowing for rows of windows higher up, called clerestory windows. These windows are fixed and have colored glass in soft yellow, pink, and green tones. The main side walls have ten pairs of tall, narrow windows, all with stained glass.
The stained glass windows tell the story of Christ's life. They often show small towns, palm trees, and flowers like irises and daffodils. The baptistry windows show scenes like the baptism of Christ and Christ with children.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has an open timber ceiling with painted wooden boards. Every fifth roof support has special arched wooden beams called trusses. These trusses help hold up the roof and look very elegant.
The walls inside are lined with white painted wooden boards. The aisle posts are dark brown, and the wooden pews (benches) are unpainted. The aisles and the sanctuary (the area around the altar) are carpeted. The sanctuary is raised a few steps above the main floor.
The organ and a pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) are on the northern side. The vestry is entered through an arched doorway. It holds framed photos of past priests and other church items.
The baptistry is a small, five-sided area. It has a sandstone font, a tall candleholder, and a small shelf for anointing oil. Next to the southern door, there are three timber honor boards.
Near the church, there's a brick parish hall and a timber rectory (priest's house).
Why Christ Church is Important
Christ Church, Childers, was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 2000. This means it's a very important historical place in Queensland.
- It shows how Queensland grew: The church was built when Childers was becoming a major sugar-growing area. It shows how important churches and other community buildings were as towns developed.
- It has rare features: The church has a wonderful and rare collection of stained glass windows by the famous artist William Bustard. Also, it's one of the few timber churches designed by John Buckeridge that is still mostly in its original condition.
- It shows a special type of building: Christ Church is a great example of a timber church in a small country town. It has a simple shape, a steep roof, and uses Gothic Revival style features like pointed windows and arches.
- It's beautiful: The church is beautifully designed, especially the elegant timber details inside. The stained glass windows add a lot to its beauty.
- It's important to the community: Christ Church has been the main place of worship for the Anglican community in Childers for over 100 years.
- It's linked to important people: The church is connected to the architect John Buckeridge, who greatly influenced church design in Queensland. It's also linked to William Bustard, a well-known Queensland artist who created the stained glass windows.
